A current re-examination of racial/ethnic disparities in the use of substance abuse treatment: Do disparities persist?

Mental Health Literacy: a Critical Target for Narrowing Racial Disparities in Behavioral Health

“…Insurance coverage for behavioral health services plays a role in treatment initiation and completion, given the substantial cost of treatment. Having personal health insurance that provides coverage for behavioral health often leads to higher rates of treatment seeking (Alegría et al 2012;Lundgren et al, 2005;Pinedo, 2019). Data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, an annual, nationally representative, cross-sectional survey, indicates that not only are many individuals un-or under-insured, but many are unaware of, or do not understand, provisions for behavioral health treatment under their plan (Cummings et al, 2014).…”

The role of perceived treatment need in explaining racial/ethnic disparities in the use of substance abuse treatment services

“…Current national estimates indicate that more than 18.7 million adults in the United States (U.S.) struggle with a substance use disorder (SUD) (SAMHSA, 2017). However, considerable gaps between treatment need and treatment use persist (McMorrow et al, 2015;Pinedo, 2019). In 2017, approximately 92% of individuals with an SUD had not sought treatment in the past year (SAMHSA, 2019).…”

“…In 2017, approximately 92% of individuals with an SUD had not sought treatment in the past year (SAMHSA, 2019). Even more troubling is that racial/ethnic disparities in use of treatment services continue: Latinos and Blacks with SUD are less likely to use SUD and mental health treatment services than their white counterparts (Chartier & Caetano, 2011;Pinedo, 2019;Schmidt et al, 2006;Weisner & Matzger, 2002). In general, barriers related to access and cost (e.g., having treatment covered by insurance, being employed, income, transportation issues) do not explain racial/ethnic disparities in treatment utilization (Pinedo, 2019;Schmidt et al, 2007;Verissimo & Grella, 2017).…”

Treatment Outcomes Among Black Adults Receiving Medication for Opioid Use Disorder

“…Additionally, Black people face systemic barriers to SUD treatment and recovery through discriminatory practices affecting income, education, employment, housing, healthcare, and criminal justice systems [3,[6][7][8]. Therefore, Black individuals with SUD tend to have lower odds of initiating SUD treatment despite presenting with greater addiction severity and, even after treatment engagement, suffer from worse treatment outcomes such as treatment discontinuation and continued substance use [9][10][11][12][13].…”